Questions Remain Surrounding Brandon Sikes Shooting

It was one of the most impressive and moving sights I have ever witnessed. I sincerely hope and pray none of us ever have its like again. More than five continuous miles of flashing blue lights, over 500 individual vehicles, and thousands of public safety officers gathered to honor the life and loss of Columbia County Deputy Brandon Sikes. 

Many far more eloquent than me have lamented his loss, paying tribute to the unselfish professional commitment he showed, not just on the day he was taken from us, but also in his decision to continue his public safety career after his time serving as a combat tested Army medic. 

How sadly ironic that Deputy Sikes successfully braved enemy fire at the hands of America's sworn enemies only to fall against homegrown evil in his own backyard. 

Now that the funeral procession has passed, we would be betraying the efforts of this fallen hero if we didn't carefully examine the decisions that put him in harm’s way. Perhaps we can learn from any mistakes that were made. 

But first, let's make it clear - the only person ultimately accountable for the cold-blooded murder of Deputy Sikes and injuries to Deputy Gavin White is Blake Montgomery. While there may be attempts to lay blame elsewhere, the final responsibility for this event falls squarely on his shoulders. 

As our colleagues at WRDW News 12 reported shortly after Deputy Sikes' murder, Montgomery's estranged wife had listed a myriad of serious threats he made against her as their marriage disintegrated. Those concerns were listed - quite specifically - in paperwork requesting a protective order requiring him to stay away from her and the family home. It reportedly also called for the confiscation of any weapons in his possession. 

https://www.wrdw.com/2025/04/28/12-your-side-investigates-deputies-knew-cop-killer-was-dangerous-unstable

While Mrs. Montgomery's sworn accusations were quite alarming, law enforcement intelligence reports that had been discussed and distributed to officers a few days before the shooting were far more specific - and terrifying.  

According to the report aired by WRDW, Mongomery was reported to have been building pipe bombs, keeping both handguns and an automatic AR-15 on his person and making threats against law enforcement. It also said he was a diagnosed bipolar, paranoid schizophrenic that had been off his medication for some time. After the televised report, several media outlets were contacted by current and former law enforcement officers and concerned citizens questioning why Montgomery, a man with so many known issues, wasn't immediately taken into custody for, at the very least, questioning.  

While simple "he said/she said" allegations alone should never result in an immediate arrest, they most definitely can and have resulted in an immediate stop-and-search of similar suspicious suspects. The information cited in the referenced intelligence bulletin offers more than enough justification for any number of aggressive actions on behalf of officers to search and, if warranted, detain Montgomery. It is indeed a mystery why such actions were not taken. 

I am told by three retired senior officers  that given the concerns laid out in the Columbia County Sheriffs Office's own bulletin on the man, surrounding his vehicle in an isolated area and ordering him to come out of the RV, so it could be searched with proper personnel and equipment, would not have been a stretch. They said it would have been the best way to handle such a potentially dangerous suspect. 

These comments and criticisms continue to circulate among the law enforcement community, with several elected officials also expressing concern and the need for detailed explanations. 

In the 33 years I have been covering these types of events as an editorialist, and another six years before that as a straight journalist, I can tell you that the Columbia County Sheriff's Office has historically been the most accountable and transparent law enforcement agency in the CSRA. They have been accessible and cooperative during investigations that exposed poor choices by personnel, criminal behavior by sworn officers, and even baffling and embarrassing mysteries, such as the Christopher Jeburk escape, which remain unsolved to this day.  

There has never been a misstep or a tactical error in such a well-contemplated "executed scenario" that resulted in the death of an officer. Not like this. Not in Columbia County.  

Given the amazing respect and latitude earned by the CCSO and granted by its elected officials and citizens, it is imperative that we allow the agency and specifically Sheriff Clay Whittle to speak to these concerns once all evidence has been analyzed and reviewed by his people, and any other outside agencies.  

While there is no requirement for an outside agency to handle this case, the Sheriff should reconsider his long-standing aversion to asking another entity to step in and do just that. If honest mistakes were made, the CCSO can weather the criticism and learn from this experience. If the department and its supervising officers are deemed to have acted appropriately with all due care and deliberation, the fact that such a conclusion was reached by others will also comfort all involved. 

I would remind the vocal (and usually anonymous) critics of the CCSO's actions that tragic Saturday evening that our communities are full of known bad guys. Suspicions alone are not enough to treat all of them the way many of us wish we could. Most of the 9/11 hijackers were on terror watch lists, yet none so egregiously dangerous that they warranted immediate detainment - or so we thought. 

God bless all our men and women in blue, because no matter how careful they are, the risk of falling at the hands of an unhinged individual is constant and never to be taken lightly.